


Looking for Signs

by RealMagicQueen



Category: Looking (TV)
Genre: Angst, M/M, Original Character(s), Rewrite, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-05
Updated: 2017-12-16
Packaged: 2019-02-11 03:31:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12926418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RealMagicQueen/pseuds/RealMagicQueen
Summary: Patrick is acting up because even after getting back together he is yet to meet Richie's friends. Richie thinks Patrick is about to break up with him again, and has had it with Patrick's flakiness. Their friends, however, are no big help.





	1. "He Is My Boyfriend"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patrick is having yet another meltdown. Agustin is not the most sensitive friend. Richie is clueless. And Dom... is just Dom.

It was the first birthday they would celebrate together so Patrick wanted it to be a big deal. He was planning a surprise party. Only problem was he was yet to meet any of Richie's close friends.

Okay, that was not so true. He had met some of Richie’s friends that one time at The Stud, when they reconciled after their disastrous first date. He had been introduced to a Carlos and a Feliz but that was the last time he ever saw them.

By all appearances, unlike Patrick, Richie did not have a close-knit group of friends. Patrick had been back in San Francisco for a month now. In all that time, he should have met at least one of Richie’s friends, shouldn’t he? Patrick posed the question to Agustin when they met up at Dom’s Window after work.

Agustin snorted in disbelief. “That’s not true. I’m sure you have met at least one.”

“If we are talking about Brady and Kaia, then yes.”

Dom locked the door to his business. “What about Agustin? He is Richie’s friend.”

Agustin laughed. Patrick rolled his eyes.

“I mean a friend who is not my friend already,” he whined as they headed down the street. They were going for drinks at a bar two blocks away. “We only hang out with you guys.”

“Not all the time,” Dom pointed out. “I mean, Richie is probably hanging out with his friends right now.”

Patrick stopped short. “Well, he didn’t tell me that he had plans for the evening. I told him I was hanging out with you guys and maybe he could call to meet us when he was through with work.”

“You are awfully quiet,” Dom said to Agustin, nudging the smaller man.

Agustin shrugged. “Eddie went in for a routine check today. He has not been feeling well this last week.”

Patrick and Dom exchanged a glance.

“Well, I’m sure he’s fine,” Patrick said brightly looping an arm through Agustin’s. Dom shook their friend’s other shoulder. Agustin stumbled a little but smiled.

He glanced sideways at Patrick, a mischievous smile spreading slowly across his lips. “I’ve met Richie’s friends.”

“Not helping,” Dom intoned.

“You have? So he does have friends. When… Oh I forgot you and Richie became best friends after I left.” But he didn’t look so happy with that fact. “So why haven’t I met his friends? I am _his_ boyfriend. Or do you think he is embarrassed by me? Are his friends Latino? Maybe he is scared they’ll tease him about dating a gringo.”

“Or maybe he doesn’t want you saying anything cluelessly offensive around them.”

“Hey.” Dom shoved Agustin, knocking him into Patrick who had stopped walking.  

“He said that?”

“No,” Agustin said hurriedly, prompted by Dom’s stern look. “Of course not. I’m just –“

“Being an asshole,” Dom finished for him.

“But what if that’s how he really feels? He keeps talking about taking it slowly. I have been giving hints about moving in together –“

“You practically live at his place and only come back for fresh clothes.”

“Exactly.” Patrick had the saddest look on his face. “Except that I don’t live there. When I hinted about getting a place together – “

“Just stop,” Agustin cut in. “Forget what I said. Dom’s right. I was just being an asshole. If you wanna meet Richie’s friends, why not just ask him? He has been busy at the truck lately. Like you said, you always hang out with us. Maybe there’s just no time to hang out with his… What are you doing?”

“Calling Richie. Maybe he is hanging out with his friends tonight and not… Oh, hi. It’s me. We were wondering where you were? Is that music? Oh. Ok. Sure. Ok. Love you too.

“He is hanging out with an old friend from Esta Noche.”

“Probably, Mz. T. She is a drag queen… What?”

Dom shook his head. “Read the room. Or the sidewalk.” He waved a hand towards Patrick's stiff back as the younger man marched on ahead of his friends. Dom caught up with Patrick, throwing an arm around the disgruntled man's shoulders. 

Agustin sighed, debated whether to just turn around and go home, but then he heaved another huge sigh and sauntered towards his friends.

Patrick was downing two shots in succession when Agustin sidled to the bar stool beside him. “Look, instead of getting angry with me for getting close to your boyfriend while you were away – nope, that doesn’t sound right. What I’m trying to say is since I know some of Richie’s friends, I could help you with the guest list.”

Patrick frowned in confusion.

“For the surprise party you were planning on throwing your boyfriend which started this entire conversation…”

Patrick turned around on the stool to stare blindly at the customers sitting at tables. “Never mind. I’ll just invite Ceci and you guys.”

“Who’s Ceci? Dom asked.

“His cousin.”

“See, you’ve met his family,” Agustin exclaimed, making a ta-da gesture with his hands.

Patrick rolled his eyes.


	2. Big Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apparently, everyone is upset with Richie about this friend thing.

“How come I never see you when you are dating this Patrick guy?”

Richie chuckled. “That’s not true. We came to your show two weeks ago.”

“Yeah. Spoke briefly before the show. Then you left halfway through it because your boyfriend was sick or drunk or whatever. How come I've never properly met him?”

“What are you saying? You have met him.”

“No. Agustin introduced us. And he knows me as Feliz. That is if he knows me at all. Why are you keeping me away from your boyfriend, Ricardo? Hmmm, why?”

Richie hoisted his shoulders in defense, hands raised, “I’m not keeping you away from anybody. I have invited you for dinner at my place twice now.”

“On nights you know I’ll not be available.”

Richie snorted and swore in Spanish.

“Your birthday is coming up. Do I get to meet the enigmatic Patrick who has managed to capture your heart twice even after breaking it the first time?”

Richie surrendered. “Sure. Yes. Whatever.”

“What are you planning?”

“I don’t know. Maybe we go out for drinks, a picnic. It’s not like it's a big birthday. I turn thirty-eight. Big deal.”

“For some of us, any age is a big deal,” Mz. T tried to say as airily as she could muster.

Richie paused with the beer halfway to his lips. Then he smiled and bumped Mz. T with a shoulder. His friend grimaced, shook herself dramatically and turned to him with a sweet smile. “So how soon am I meeting this heartbreaker of yours?”

“Anytime,” Richie exclaimed. “Wanna meet him tonight? I could call him up and we’ll meet up with him and his friends.”

“He’s Agustin’s best friend, isn’t he? Oooh, I love Agustin. So caustic like some tiny green lime. Goes well with lots of sugar.”

Richie laughed. “That’s why he has Eddie.”

“Oooh, I love Eddie Bear. Your Patrick has such nice friends. Maybe I’ll give him a chance.”

Richie shook his head. “You’d give him a chance, nice friends or not. Because you love me and because he’s sweeter than Brady.”

“Ohhhh! Bradddyyy. I loved Brady too. Poor guy. You were good for him.” Richie shook his head. “I know, I know. Your heart belongs to Patrick. But Brady…” Mz. T feigned running through nostalgic memories of Richie’s ex in her head. Then snapped out of it literally, rolling her head and quipping, “A nasty bitch when he is drunk but a sweet, intelligent guy otherwise.”

Richie gazed at his friend fondly as she did her whole thing. They were sitting at an outdoor bar and a slight breeze was whipping a wisp of her silken, straightened hair into Mz. T’s lightly made-up face. She was dressed in a pair of jeans, flat sandals and a bedazzled top. She looked frailer than usual but glowed from within as always. Richie loved to tell her, “You are all skin and light.”

“You think everyone is sweet,” he said softly.

“Everyone is sweet. Well, except for my last boss. Oh my God! I think the devil himself gave birth to that man.”

Richie laughed as Mz. T launched into a long tale of her misadventures with her devil’s spawn of a former boss. He had heard most of the stories before but Mz. T was a great storyteller, he’d listen to her tales a thousand times over. They were soon joined by two mutual friends and then a small audience of other listening patrons at the bar. And as the night wore on, there was no more talk of calling up or meeting with Patrick.

\---

The vibrating phone woke Patrick up. He squinted against the bright sunlight peeping through the curtains.

“Hello,” he growled.

Richie chuckled. “Some night you had.”

Patrick huffed a breath. He sat up and shoved a pillow behind his head.

“How many drinks did you have?”

Patrick snuffled and rubbed his nose hard, making a lot of noise with each action.

“Are you okay?” Richie teased.

“I’m fine,” came the grumpy reply.

“You didn’t come home last night. Had a really good time, didn’t you? I was home at nine and waited up for you. Called several times but like I said, seems you were really having a good time. Thought we could have breakfast together – or maybe brunch seeing as it’s almost noon.”

Patrick was barely holding his breath at Richie’s long chirpy talk. He somehow managed to bite his tongue from retorting: _First of all, I’m_ home _. I’m at_ my _place. You know, the flat I share with_ Dom _, who_ didn’t _make a big deal about me moving in. Second of all, sounds like_ you _were having a good time with your_ friend _I am not allowed to meet._

Instead he replied, “I have a headache. I think I’m just gonna lie here all day. I’ll call you when I am awake.” Then he cut the phone and switched it off for good measure. He buried his face in the pillow. Gathering all his angst around him, he tried to suffocate himself in the darkness conjured by his self-pity.

\---

“So I’m not meeting him today either.”

“I think he has a bad hangover. Or a cold.” Richie was eyeing his phone as if he hoped it would part like some mystic liquid or crystal ball and show him the true current state of his love.

“So you are telling me I slept over for nothing?”

Richie swore in Spanish. “You are getting free breakfast, aren’t you?”

Mz. T brightened up. “Yes, I am.”

She followed Richie as he walked into the bathroom. “You know what this reminds me of? That time on Sesame Street when everyone thought Big Bird had an imaginary friend called Snuffleupagus.”

Richie put toothpaste on his brush. “First of all, Snuffy was real. And second, you have actually met Patrick. Twice.”

“Both times as Agustin’s friend.”

“No,” Richie almost choked on foam and spit. “That’s not true.”

“Yes. Very true. Tell me. Does he know about me? Does he know my name? How come the two times you called him yesterday and this morning, when he actually answered your call and spoke to you, how come you never said: Oh. By the way. Guess who I am hanging out with? Mz T. Or Feliz. Or whatever name you gave him. Have you even ever told him about me?”

Richie spluttered as he stared wide-eyed at Mz. T through the mirror.

Mz. T, finger raised as she turned around to walk back to the bedroom, sassed, “I rest my case.”


	3. In The Truck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patrick confronts Richie... finally.

Richie had a busy day at the truck. But just as he was opening up, he had texted Patrick: _Hey baby. Hope you are feeling better. Maybe you could come over to the truck once you are “awake”. Hahaha ;)_

At four, he managed to get a breather for a quick snack and to send Patrick another text. _Pato. Are you alive? What did you drink last night? Call me. Love you. R._

Richie called it a day at eight. He turned down a last minute customer and drove to Patrick and Dom’s. The lights were out and no one answered the door. He called Patrick. The phone rang a long time. Just when he was about to give up, Patrick answered.

“Hey. Are you ok? Where are you? I didn’t hear from you all day.”

“I’m at work. I got called in for some last minute updates for a presentation.”

“Are you ok? You sounded like death this morning.”

“I’m fine.”

“I could come pick you and we’d grab a bite. Have you had dinner?”

Patrick was silent for a moment. “Actually, I’m supposed to meet up with Dom. His Saturdays are always busy. I promised to come help him clean and prepare for tomorrow.”

“I didn’t know he opened on Sundays.”

“He does sometimes. But only in the evenings.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, sure. Sorry about last night.”

“It’s fine. I could go home freshen up and then come pick you up at Dom’s.”

“No, Richie, it’s fine. Look, I had a bad day. I don’t want to burden you with all that.”

“Oh.”

“I’m sorry. I call you tomorrow or later.”

Richie struck the phone in his pocket once he had recovered from the shock of Patrick’s abruptness. He exhaled. By the time he was rounding the back of the truck, his walk had turned to a stomp. He snatched the cab door open, climbed in spewing expletives into the quiet confines of his innocent truck.

_Son of a bitch. Wonder what is eating him this time? Oh hey Felicito, meet my on-again, off-again crazy boyfriend, who doesn’t know what he wants. By the way, you were right, Brady is a bitch sometimes but at least he knows what he wants. Enough to stick around for a year. This... Asshole! What is it this time? A month. Almost as long as the last time. At least this time, he made up his mind sooner. Patrick is sweet alright. Sweet poison. Asshole. You think I’m gonna let you break my heart again? Nggghhh…_

\---

Patrick was surprised to see Richie’s truck parked at the corner from his office. Or maybe it was some trick of light or a freak night time mirage conjured by his arid, pining heart.

Nope. It was Richie’s truck and his boyfriend was in it, gripping the steering wheel with both hands.

“What are you doing here?”

Richie glared at him.

“Are you okay?”

Richie reached across and opened the passenger door. “Get in. We need to talk.”

Patrick hesitated, then obeyed.

Richie drove in grim silence until they got to the lot where he usually parked the truck for the night.

“What’s going on, Pato?” he asked finally.

“What do you mean?”

“Are you freaking out on me again because I swear this time…?”

“Freaking out? What?”

“Shit. I can’t do this again.” Richie put up a hand to his eyes to stem his tears. “What is it this time? My apartment too small for you? The truck?”

Patrick’s eyes narrowed in what Richie saw as feigned incredulity. Then they widened when it all clicked. Patrick grabbed Richie’s arm with both hands. “Oh my God. You think I’m breaking up with you? Really? I… I, I don’t know, throw a mild tantrum for one second and you think I’m leaving you?”

“Oh. That’s what you’ve been doing all day, throwing a “mild” tantrum?”

Patrick scoffed. “Seriously, Richie. Your apartment? The truck?” He opened the cab door but didn’t get down. “I don't believe you. You still have doubts about me? Us?” His voice broke.

Richie angled his body towards Patrick. Any move out of that truck and Richie was going to grab him or jump out after him. They needed to trash things out for once without one of them walking away. But Patrick let the door swing shut. A tear slid down his face as he turned on Richie. “Is that why I've never met your friends? Because you are scared I’d leave you?”

“What?" Richie spluttered. "Oh my God. Not you too. Is this a prank? Some test? Did Agustin put you guys up to this?”

“”Me too”? What do you mean “me too”? Who else are you hiding from your friends?”

Relieved that Patrick's odd behaviour hadn't been signs of an imminent breakup, Richie actually found himself smiling at Patrick's last question. “I'm not hiding anyone from anybody. Is that why you are having a bad day? You think I have been keeping you away from my friends.”

Richie couldn't help his guffaw even though Patrick was still very much obviously distressed. The whole situation was ridiculous. First, Feliz yesterday and now Patrick. He was pretty certain Agustin in his usual twisted way had something to do at least with why Patrick had reacted the way he did. 

Patrick smacked his tears off his face as he regarded Richie, still very much upset. "I'm glad you think it's all silly. But I wanted to plan a surprise party for your birthday and then I realised I didn’t know any of your friends. We only ever hang out with my friends. You’ve never introduced me to your friends or invited me to hang out with them. Like yesterday, when you went out with that friend whose name you didn't mention. But Agustin said maybe it was a Miss T and then he was going on and on about how he has met all of your friends –“

“I knew that son of a bitch was involved in this somehow.”  


	4. Still A Big Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We either break, fold or snap back.

Patrick took in Richie's gorgeous hair, his well-trimmed beard, his beautiful eyes which in certain lights like this one were rum-coloured… He could get drunk just staring into their depths. He touched Richie’s cheek. The other man reached up a hand to hold Patrick’s firmly in place.

“Did you really think I was breaking up with you?”

 His eyes lowered, Richie muttered, “Yes.”

Patrick sighed. “Is that why you kept me away from your friends?”

“What are you talking about? You’ve met my friends. More than once. Remember two weeks ago when we went to that club, you met Feliz- Mz. T. And when you come by the truck, you've met Carlos, Johnny Blue, Mike. You even met Patrice, from the mani-pedi truck. And that one time when three of us had some papusas after work?" 

Patrick’s eyes widened with each name Richie mentioned.

“Yeah, but...”

“You come around, I introduce you. I say meet my boyfriend, Patrick. Patrick meet Carlos. They tell lies about me. We all laugh. What other kind of special introduction is there?”

Patrick cocked his head, looking for some flaw in Richie’s argument.

“Maybe the reason why sometimes you never notice we are hanging out with my friends is because even when we are hanging out with my friends, we are always hanging out with your friends.”

“Oh please, not the Agustin joke again.”

Richie snorted. “What’s the Agustin joke?”

“Dom said I've met your friends since Agustin is now your friend too. Ha-ha. ”

Richie laughed. “Well, you sometimes come around with Agustin and since knows my friends, he's often the one doing the introductions."

"That's what I'm trying to say. We don't hang out with your friends outside of work or your truck like we do with my friends. I don't mean some guy you work with. I mean your real friends. The kind of folks you vent to about me."

"I don't vent about you."

"Sure you do,"

"Well, last night, all those missed calls, and this morning when I called you, I wanted you to hang out with me and Feliz."

"Agustin said you were with a Mz. T."

"That's his drag name."

"Why didn't you say anything? And why am I only just hearing about him. I mean her."

"Either works."

"Richie." 

"It's not like I don't want you to meet my friends or hang with them. I'm sorry you got that idea. We usually hang out with your friends, which is fine.. I don't even have a lot of close friends. I prefer hanging out with the person I'm dating. If not, a lot of times, I'm on my own. I don't have this close-knit group of friends like you do. And I've been busy with the truck. And Feliz - yes, he is one of my closest friends - he was sick and went away for a while but he is back now. We can hang out tomorrow if you want." 

\--- 

Patrick was quiet looking out the windscreen. He could have been staring at a blank wall for all his eyes were taking in. It wasn't even about Richie's friends. It was the vibes he kept getting from Richie. Like the entire taking it _really_ slow thing. And then, how easily his one bad day was interpreted as a freak-out/break-up.

“You're just waiting for me to break your heart again, aren't you?”

Richie hated that they were having this conversation in the cab of his truck. He could feel the cramped space squeezing in on him. It was on his tip of his tongue to deny Patrick’s fears with a declaration of love but he knew the words would only echo meaninglessly in the chasm between them right now.

“Why did you come back to The End Up? Why did you break up with Brady? Why did you come back to me if you’re just waiting for everything to end again?”

“Ha, Pato. No, that’s not what I’m doing.”

Richie grabbed Patrick’s shoulder, urging his love to look at him. Patrick allowed Richie turn him around till they were facing each other. Richie held Patrick’s hands, squeezing them.

“Look at me," he pleaded. "I can't lie and say the thought of you freaking out and dumping me again doesn't scare me. But it's not because I don't trust you or 'cause I don't believe in us. It's 'cause I want this so much. I want you. I've always wanted you and I don't I think I can ever stop wanting to be with you. From that first time I saw you on the bus, it was it for me. And the thought that you may not want me or want this..."

Patrick gasped in protest. 

"Wait," Richie said. "I know you do love me which was why even though I thought my heart was about to break again, I came to get you. I'm not gonna let you go as easily as I did the last time. I know it's gonna be hard, us coming from different backgrounds and all that, but I know we can do this. And I'm sorry I made you feel like I don't trust you or I don't believe in us. I love you, Pato." 

"I love you too," Patrick said smiling through his tears. His heart had warmed up so much he felt it would burst through his chest like the sun past a stubborn cloud. He leaned in to kiss his boyfriend. They clung to each other for a desperate minute until Patrick broke away, laughing as he wiped his runny nose. Richie pulled out a handkerchief. 

"Here," he said, dabbing at Patrick's face. Patrick batted him away. They play fought over the handkerchief, giggling like kids. 

When they were both calm, Patrick pecked Richie's cheek. "I love you," he said, gazing at his boyfriend with a soft light in his eyes. He knew how much it must have taken for the usually reticent Richie to say what he said. He sighed, leaning back in his seat. 

"Can I just say something? This whole taking it slowly thing is driving me nuts. I know we rushed things the first time and it ended badly. But we found each other again. That's saying a lot. If it had been that bad, we would have just broken up, moved on, the end."

 “Everything drives you nuts, Pato.”

"I'm just saying I want to be with you too. Like the way we were at the beginning, doing things together, taking that day off work to go around the city, you giving me the escapulario in the bathroom, being romantic and so in love."

"Are we not like that now? We do things together. We are almost always together except for work. You practically live in my place."

"But I don't live there," Patrick said in small voice.   

Richie sighed. 

"I know it seems like rushing but... I thought when I moved back from Denver, we'd get a place together." He turned in his seat. "I want to be with you too. I know what I want now and I'm sure of us. Like you said, we practically live together." 

Richie was quiet. Finally, he placed a hand on Patrick's thigh. "I can't afford to move to a bigger place right now." 

Patrick started to reply but Richie increased the pressure on his leg, giving him a meaningful look.

"Oh," Patrick said when he got it. "Okay."

Richie laughed. Patrick watched him fondly. 

"You know, I'm glad we talked like this and cleared the air."

"Yeah. Me too. But we could have done all of this, this morning. If someone had just come back home yesterday and told me what was bugging them instead of having a "mild" tantrum."

Patrick punched him in the arm. "Okay, I admit I could have handled that better. But it was so hot though the way you came to get me.” He put on a gruff voice, “Get in.”

"Come here," Richie said, using the same tone as he grabbed Patrick to him, kissing him hard.

As they walked towards Richie's apartment, arms around each other, Richie remembered something Patrick had said in the truck. 

"What was that again about a surprise birthday?"

"I guess it's ruined now," Patrick laughed.

"We could always do something together, just the two of us. It doesn't have to be a big deal."

Patrick thought about it. "Hmmm, no. It's your first birthday with me. I'm making it a big deal."  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I revised this entire chapter because when I first wrote and published it I was under a lot of stress and writing it then was a form of distraction. But in this much better state, I have been able to follow the original direction I imagined. As usual, thanks for reading.

**Author's Note:**

> I always worrried that we never saw Richie's friends in the show. Bam! Inspiration. Comments (and kudos) would really be appreciated. Thanks.


End file.
